Teachers

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Scuttlebutt 'round these parts, is that there will likely be 6 less (or 15, if you believe the fearmongers) school days to next year's calendar. And our schools win, too? Racing to the top? Nobody let behind?

But on the positive side, this week was Teacher Appreciation Week. We got ice cream sundaes, hot drinks, posters around campus, and breakfast on different days. Some teachers got written notes from students in their mailboxes. My one?

In thinking back on your class, it was super easy. All I had to do was my work.

That's all I ask.

[Maradona]

Our district has offered 12 days less (furloughed). We received nothing from administration last week. I had some former students from years ago email me to offer appreciation.

A shorter school year, no summer school, higher class sizes, all cost saving measures, yes, but whether they will be effective in the actual classroom boils down to the exact same question that exists today and has always been a key factor: What is the teacher going to do with the kids who are placed in the class? Send me 36 (the average now), 40, 50, whatever the number will be next fall and I will continue to strive to convince them their education is an important factor in the development of their lives and teach them skills to support it. Those that believe will work to better their lives. Those that don't, naturally won't. Like many of us, I will dedicate time to nudging the "won'ts" into "wills" despite their resistance. I will cringe when I consider how many "colleagues" scrounge by, apathetic, affecting little change in their students' lives. More cost saving measures will be proposed, implemented, criticized, tested, changed, reduced, increased, abandoned. Students will continue to enter classes needing to be taught. The school year will continue to fly through. This is my 10th year as an educator and I still wake up happy each morning. I'll do this as long as I can.

[sith_killer_99]

Send me 36 (the average now), 40, 50, whatever the number will be next fall and I will continue to strive to convince them their education is an important factor in the development of their lives and teach them skills to support it. Those that believe will work to better their lives. Those that don't, naturally won't. Like many of us, I will dedicate time to nudging the "won'ts" into "wills" despite their resistance. I will cringe when I consider how many "colleagues" scrounge by, apathetic, affecting little change in their students' lives. More cost saving measures will be proposed, implemented, criticized, tested, changed, reduced, increased, abandoned. Students will continue to enter classes needing to be taught. The school year will continue to fly through. This is my 10th year as an educator and I still wake up happy each morning. I'll do this as long as I can.

That's awesome, we need teachers who care, they are the one's who make the difference in students lives. It's unfortunate that many do not realize the impact they have on their students (good and bad). All too often a teacher changes someone's life and never knows the end results.

I have had a handful of teachers over the years that have impacted my life in so many ways. I have tried to let them all know. Some are just too far gone from my life.

I remember a few years back when one of my former teachers passed away. My sister told me about it, and I bought a card for the family. Inside I inscribed my gratitude for all that he had meant to me as a teacher. I was surprised to find they read the inscription during his funeral.

Keep up the good work, never back down, the choices we make today will help to mold the future.

[Maradona]

Thank you very much for those kind words.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

That's awesome, we need teachers who care, they are the one's who make the difference in students lives.

Wait, what? We teachers are supposed to care? We can have impacts on students' lives? I thought we were just information machines based on test data success and heartless rich ivory tower dwellers with golden retirement packages?

[TeeEye7]

... .and heartless rich ivory tower dwellers with golden retirement packages?

That's why I married my wife

[sith_killer_99]

Wait, what? We teachers are supposed to care? We can have impacts on students' lives? I thought we were just information machines based on test data success and heartless rich ivory tower dwellers with golden retirement packages?

I'm on the side of good teachers, they should get paid more than bad teachers and bad teachers should lose their jobs. It's just too bad those Unions won't support higher pay for better teachers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kxc6...eature=related

[Maradona]

You mean paying everyone in a profession what the lowest common denominator amongst them is making doesn't make sense?

I'll sign up for merit based pay and work my tail off to earn it. But I think in addition to that, we need to make the assessments into something that has a value for students. If the student's grades, extracurricular activities, and/or college potential aren't tied to something, why would it matter to them. Testing, which I support, needs to be aligned with incentive not just for teachers, but for students as well. Once those two are married, I think a sharp rise in test scores will emerge. As it is now, they're not even really dating...

[sith_killer_99]

Yeah, the problem is that you can not really judge someone's performance by the actions of another.

In the military we have an annual evaluation report that is written and submitted by our direct supervisors. I'm not sure that would work in the case of teachers, but there has to be a better system.

Merit based pay provides an added incentive for teachers to perform.

[TeeEye7]

If only all students were created equal: same IQ, socio-economic background, same parental support, same financial support at the school's facilities throughout the nation....

Maybe then merit-based pay would work.